1. Field of the Invention
An electrical connector arrangement for tapping off electrical current from a plurality of coplanar parallel input insulated conductors and supplying the same to a plurality of output conductors, respectively, includes a rectangular base member having a horizontal upper surface that supports a plurality of parallel coplanar longitudinally-extending alternately-staggered input conductors, respectively, and a pair of pivot members connected with the ends of the base member for pivotal movement about transverse horizontal pivot axes, respectively. As the pivot members are pivoted from disengaged positions relative to the base member toward engaged positions parallel with and directly above the base member top surface, bifurcated insulation-piercing knives on the pivot members pierce the insulation layers of the insulated conductors and electrically engage the conductors. Junction blocks fastened to the pivot members include output contacts connected with the insulation piercing knives via bus bars, which output contacts in turn are connected with the output conductors, respectively.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the patented prior art to provide connectors with insulation piercing contacts, as shown, for example, by the prior U.S. patents to Gaertner et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,315, Lux U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,804, Stuckmann et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,605, and Huiskamp et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,292, among others. It is also known to provide quick-fastening terminal blocks and junction blocks having one-way resilient contacts for automatically engaging and retaining a bare conductor end that is inserted through an access opening, as shown by the patents to Beege et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,280,233 and 6,712,641, and Fricke et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,855, among others.
In the German patent No. DE 297 06 750 U1, an electrical connector is disclosed in which a plurality of taps are provided for tapping off electrical current from an insulated conductor. For this purpose, a plurality of groove-like seats are provided on a base plate into which seats one can insert a flat cable or a plurality of electrical conductors that are parallel with respect to each other. Then an upper part is displaced in order to slacken the conductors or the flat cable. Upon this preassembled unit, which is provided with separating walls, one then locks clamp-like bodies in a pivotal motion, which bodies in each case are provided with an insulation-penetrating contact that is connected via a bus bar with, in each case, two traction spring clamps for connection of branching conductors. In this manner, one can make in each case two branches on each conductor without having to separate the continuous conductors.
It is also known that one can arrange connection devices on a shaft that is rotatably mounted on a bottom plate. This design did not prove effective because the conductors must be inserted sideways so that the arrangement is not suitable for assembly on already installed continuous cables.
The present invention therefore is an improvement over the typical state of the prior art and seeks to simplify said state of the art with respect to its design structure. A compact structure and easy handling are also to be achieved as a result.